Stay with me, Clove!
by NekoEri
Summary: This is the 74th Hunger Games from the careers POV, mostly following Clove. Cato/Clove romance with some Glimmer jealousy! Have you ever wondered what drama happened outside of Katniss' POV, in careers camp by the Cornucopia? Clove is perceived as a coldblooded killer to the world but there is definitely more to her than that... Reviews are really appreciated and helpful!
1. The Reaping Day

**Soooo this is what happened to Clove and the Carreers during the 74th Hunger Games! :D  
It took a while** **to come up with last names but I hope you'll like it, lol. This story will probably be very romantic and Clato-y. :)  
I get so incredibly happy when I read your reviews, thank you! :'D  
XOXO /Eri**

* * *

A small, dark haired girl sat on a stool infront of a oblong mirror in a small concrete house with her legs pressed together and her fists clenched. An older woman stood behind her violently pulled the girl's hair with her fair hands, braiding it.

"Ow." the girl said, wincing when her mother tugged parts of her hair.

"If you think this hurts, how the hell do you think you're supposed to win the games next year, Clove?"

Clove and her mother had always been told they looked alike with their big dark eyes, pale heartshaped face with faded freckles on their cheeks, small nose and mouth and with their small framed bodies but Clove wished they didn't. She didn't want to be anything like her mother.

"I'm tired of living in this filthy house. Ever since that scum left us, we've been living like peasants. But when you win the games and we get rich, he'll be coming crawling back to us." Clove's mother muttered. The scum she was referring to was Clove's father.

Clove hated her mother, in fact she hated her more than her father who left them six years ago without ever contacting them again. She thought of him as dead, sort of.

The worn-out bathroom shone with sunlight from the small window and made their dark brown hair shine. It was time to go to the enormous square which held the reaping for district 2.

She didn't say goodbye to her mother, instead she went to her room with yellow faded wallpapers, an unmade bed and a drawer full of clothes but little else. They weren't amongst the wealthiest in district 2, but atleast they weren't starving like in other districts.

On her bed laid a gray dress with a bow on the front she'd been saving for this day. Not that it mattered how she looked since Clove wouldn't volunteer this year since she was only sixteen, turning seventeen in a week. It was already decided in the illegal training academy which Clove attended, that another girl would volunteer this year.

Clove removed her oversized blue T-shirt she used for sleeping and her shorts with small pink bunnies on them. She would rather die than to be seen in them but it was a sentimental thing, her father had given them to her when he was still living with them and they still fit. She slipped the grey dress on and walked down the low creaking stairs, out the door.

The sun was shining and the sky was a deep azure blue. The mountains were snowy although it was hot outside. Clove could barely see anything except the mass of people heading for the square. It was so crowded, she had to elbow her way out to be able to breathe.

Eventually Clove made it to the square, there were big screens with the Capitol seal and the blue haired district 2 escort giving a flying kiss on them. Clove stood where girls her age was supposed to be and almost everyone towered over her. It made her angry, she could hardly see the stage from there, and she didn't want to miss everything.

"Clove, there you are." a big, square-faced redhaired girl made her way towards Clove with a grin.

Oh great, Clove thought sarcastically. This was another girl from the training academy, who was supposed to volunteer this year. Clove thought she was incredibly stupid but she was strong and big, even bigger than some boys.

The girl didn't have a chance to say something else before the district mayor began his long, boring, mandatory speach about the rise of Panem. There was snickering and whispers in the crowd, about who would be reaped. Not that it mattered because there were always volunteers. Clove knew who it would be this year. The red haired girl, Rebeka and the big blonde boy from the training academy, Cato.

She'd always secretly watched Cato when he was training, at first of admiration of his strength, lethal skills and good looks. But then because she slowly began to like him. They were alike in so many ways, even though they weren't friends or spoke to eachother much.

A sea blue haired young woman with pink skin and eyecolor walked across the stage to the microphone and reaping bowls. Her hair laid perfectly neat on her shoulders with glossy pearls woved in it and she wore a poofy bright yellow dress with green pumps. She looked looked like a bizzare, colorful bird.

"Happy Hunger Games!" escort Titania Clatterwing chirped and waved to the roaring crowd of inhabitants of district 2. Clove clapped her hands.

"Now is the time to select one female and male tribute from district 2." she went on.

Clove imagined how this must be like in other districts, when everyone is trembling in fear of getting reaped while everyone here in two didn't have to worry.

"How about the gentlemens first?" Tatiana asked, flashing her fake snow-white Capitol teeth. The crowed cheered as an answer.

She put her arm into one of the almost-full reaping bowls and dug deep with her hand until she pulled out one slip. She opened it slowly.

"Linus Hammer!"

A tall dark-haired boy walked up the stage, his eyes flickered nervously over the mass of people and cameras. He walked strangely, almost twitching. Clove could only see the top of his head from her position and she even stood on her toes.

"Any volunteers?" Titania asked the crowd who had gone silent. A monsturously big boy lunged out and raised his hand. He was tall, muscular and blonde with handsome feutures and looks ... he looked like a winner.

Everyone started clapping their hands excitedly for their first tribute in the 74th Hunger Games.

"Come here, come here", the escort said and waved Cato to her and put her arm over his shoulder. "What's your name?"

"Cato Finley." Cato answers confidently and winks into a camera. The escort giggles.

"I bet you've already won the girls of Panem's hearts! Please take a seat Cato, because now it's time to select the girl tribute."

Her pink hand reached deep into the glass bowl and grasped a slip. She unfolded it and then she said:

"Clove Brandstone!"

Clove smiled a little. What were the odds that she, out of all the girls in District 2 would be reaped? She took a step forward and walked towards the stage. She smoothened out her dress with her left hand and when she was out of the crowd and when started walking up the stairs she noticed everyone's eyes, the cameras, the sun and Titania's eyes that were on her. For the first time in her life she felt shy. Was it stage fright? She wondered.

Clove looked out over the sea of people. Some where clapping their hands and some where just looking at her with empty eyes. Maybe they thought she would be an easy victim for Cato. She knew she shouldn't be underrated, and she would prove them wrong next year, Clove promised herself.

She glanced towards Cato who also looked at her. She couldn't read his expression.

"Any volunteers?" the escort's voice echoed. There was silence. "None?"

Clove searched for Rebekas face in the crowd and found it. She was looking down, avoiding Clove's gaze. "That idiot, what the hell are you doing?" Clove thought angrily. So Rebeka had been too scared to volunteer and backed out in the last second. Clove didn't mind and started to smile. One year earlier didn't matter, she was already the best in District 2, if not Panem at knife-throwing.

She held up a pale hand for her district and the people who roared and clapped hands for the tributes of District 2 but then she noticed him, far back but there was no way she was mistaken. Her father. And he was crying.


	2. The train to the Capitol

**Hello my sweet sugar-angels! :3  
I can't wait ****until I get to write about the Careers in the Arena but ****to establish the characters and stuff I think it's good to start from the beginning of things!  
Also I can write more smexy/cute clato scenes****, hehehe!  
Please review, I appreciate it so much and it really helps me out a lot :D  
XOXO /Eri**

* * *

Titania Clatterwing told Cato and Clove to shake hands before the anthem begun so Cato took Clove's hand in his and shook it. Cato's surprisingly soft, skyblue eyes held hers for a long time. Clove had just looked away when the Peacekeepers came and walked them to the Justice building to meet with their friends and family, maybe for the last time.

Clove was taken to a separate, luxurious room. The walls were made of the finest wood and a big red couch of expensive fabric stood in the middle. The carpet was made of some kind of white fur and a round coffeetable stood in the corner with a plate full of of star-shaped cakes. She dropped to her knees and started petting the soft carpet. It felt just like a cat, she noted before a peacekeeper came in and she quickly stood up, blushing.

Behind the peacekeeper stood her mother, with a big grin on her face. Clove felt somehow sad, although her mother had practically been training her for this ever since she was born shouldn't a mother be more... concerned for their child?

"Come here, Clove." Clove's mother ordered and walked towards her with open arms. Although Clove felt reluctant she still let herself get embraced. It felt warm and soothing, her mother had never hugged her before, for as long as she could remember.

"Win this for us, and I'll be so proud of you. Okay?" she whispered in Clove's ear.

"I'll win." Clove whispered back. Suddenly after a couple of minutes the time was up and a peacekeeper dragged Clove's mother out the room. Nobody else came.

Clove had started to anticipate her father to come through the door, it might have been his last chance to say goodbye to her but he didn't. She couldn't stop thinking that anytime he would come and then he'd cry like she saw him did before. She'd forgive him for what he'd done and she would maybe even hug him. She just wanted someone so badly.

She felt lonely. But excited, she couldn't believe she was actually going to be in the games! Seeing the Capitol, eating good food, trying out all the weapons at the trainingcenter but the most fun of all... surviving the arena. Clove smiled to herself.

After a while the tributes were taken to the train station to get omboard the high-speed train to the Capitol, Clove stood next to Cato in the hallway getting photographed. He smiled straight into the camera and straightened his back to make himself look even bigger while Clove tried to find a suitable pose. She realized she must have looked tiny next to him.

Then they went on the train and it started moving.

"Clove..." Cato started.

"Ah there you are!" Titania interrupted from nowhere, she put each of her arms on their shoulders and then she giggled a little.

"Come on, I'll show you around. You'll have a bedroom chamber each, and private bathrooms and everything! There's also old tapes of previous Hunger Games if you want to take a look."

After she showed them around she left them alone. Clove didn't dare to look at him, because she felt so embarassed. She couldn't stop blushing. "Stupid, stupid, Clove!" she thought to herself.

Suddenly she felt the back of his hand on her cheek, stroking it. Her heart started racing.

"W-what are you doing...Cato?" she stammered.

"I noticed you at the academy. You're pretty good with knives." Cato grinned. She looked up at his face.

He was so tall, and good looking. She wanted him to stroke her again but didn't say anything. Maybe he was just playing her to use her in the games.

"I never miss a target. Keep that in mind." Clove said sharply and turned around and walked to her bedroom.

Clove's assigned bedroom was huge and luxurious with an enormous bed and a wardrobe full of clothes. Since district 2 was so close to the Capitol it only took 2 hours by train but the train did a detour so it'd take 10 hours instead so they could have more time to prepare the arrival of the tributes in the Capitol.

She laid on her back in the middle of the bed and closed her eyes. She imagined throwing a set of knives at a tribute. She didn't know who any of the other tributes were, but they'd show replays on TV soon. Suddenly Clove heard a creaking sound.

She flinched and Cato had opened her door and stepped in her room.

"W-what the hell are you doing? You can't you go in to other peoples' rooms! Get out!" she screeched. Why were this boy disturbing her like this?

"I don't see the problem, it's not like you're naked or anything." Cato grinned and threw himself beside her on the bed. Clove didn't move. For a while they lay there, beside eachother silently. Until Clove said:

"I noticed you too at the academy."

He turned his head and looked her in the eyes. Clove's cheeks were pink and her eyes a deep dark chocolate-brown color. Cato found himself thinking she was beautiful even though he knew how dangerous she was. He'd seen her throw her knives.

Suddenly Cato grabbed her by the wrist and leaned closer to Clove. She felt confused, he wasn't like anyone she had ever met before. He was so straightforward. Her heart started beating faster.

"I never got the chance to talk to you before" Cato said with a low voice. He even sounded a bit vulnereble. "You kept running away."

"No I didn't." Clove responded but that wasn't entirely true. She had only been watching him during his training but when he was free she'd always gone home or gone somewhere else so he wouldn't think she was stalking him.

Now they were so close his lips were almost brushing against hers. Clove felt her body get warm, and her stomach fluttering, she'd never felt this way before.

Cato brushed some of Clove's hair off her face with his free hand. She closed her eyes and trembled by the touch of his hand.

Then three hard knocks on the door slapped them both into reality. The magic of the moment dissolved into thin air and Clove flinched and jumped off the bed onto the floor.

"Clove? You're invited for supper! Have you seen Cato? He's not in his room." a muffled, annoying voice belonging to Titania yelled from the other side of the door.

"Invited for supper... what a joke" Clove, thought. It's not like she had any choice.

Clove and Cato walked out the door where Titania stood waiting for them. She had changed clothes to a purple feathery dress and heels too high for anyone to walk in.

"Ah Cato, what were you doing in there?" she asked in a disapproving tone.

"I thought this was my room." Cato answered. That was the worst lie Clove had ever heard in her life. She surpressed a smile.

"What do we get to eat? I'm hungry." Cato added.

They sat down at a glossy wooden table and they got served in courses. Creamy tomato soup with breadsticks, beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes and salad and chocolate mousse with exotic fruit. Cato devoured five plates of food and didn't even seem to notice the mentors sitting at the table. Clove could tell Enobaria immedietly took a liking to Cato.

Clove hated to admit to herself that she also might had taken a liking to him. It would make the games so much harder for her.


	3. New feelings

**I really think Clove and Cato are meant to be together, they just fit each other so well! :3  
Cato's all pervy and Clove's so surprisingly shy, lol. Please enjoy this chapter!**  
**Please review, it helps out my writing so much! You can also leave suggestions! ^u^/  
XOXO /Eri  
**

* * *

After dinner, Clove and Cato watched the reapings together on a huge TV-screen in another room.

They sat curled up in a big couch, with Titania squeezed in the middle. She reeked of heavy perfume.

Clove thoughtfully determined the tributes' strength and threat in her mind, none seemed to be anything she couldn't handle though. Except maybe the giant dark skinned boy from district 11. When they watched their own reapings Clove snickered when she saw Cato lunge out clumsily from the crowd as he volunteered.

"What?" Cato snapped.

"Classy." she replied with a grin.

"Shhh, I haven't seen the reaping yet." Titania hushed them and waved her hand in the air.

The last reaping from district 12 was unusual, a tiny dark haired girl threw herself out, screeching as she volunteered for her little sister. Clove thought it was pathetic, the girl was clearly overreacting. The poverty in district 12 must have made them mad.

Clove felt confident as she walked to her bedroom for the night. She couldn't wait to get into the arena, all of the tributes on the screen were as good as dead. Clove wanted to show the world her strength, show her mother how skillful she was. To make her proud.

When Clove opened the door the room was pitch-dark. She pulled her dress over her head and left it on the floor and dissolved the braids in her hair with her fingers so it fell in waves over her shoulders. Then she walked through the darkness in only her pink underwear and crawled under the sheets of her bed.

Clove closed her eyes, but was unable to sleep. She turned, tossed and kicked her legs in frustration. The loneliness came sneaking up on her and suddenly Clove wasn't on a train full of staff, mentors and chefs anymore but in a dark hole of nothingness. Clove had no real friends, no siblings or father. Not that she wanted any, she did just fine on her own. She'd get to see the Capitol, get so rich she could buy a castle, and throw knives at people and she looked forward to that.

Finally, Clove couldn't stand it anymore and wrapped herself in a thin silk robe and walked out the door, into the hallway until she stood infront of Cato's door. She hesitantly held her slender hand on the door handle. She just wanted to see his face... and maybe talk to him a little.

After a moment of thinking, Clove opened the door. From the faint light from the hallway she saw him lying sprawled across the bed, almost taking up all available space. He was just so big. With light steps, Clove sneaked up to him and looked at his face.

Cato's golden hair laid across his forhead and his mouth were slightly open, slowly inhaling deep breaths.

The intimidating boy she had seen throw spears, wield swords and chop trainingdolls' heads off looked so innocent and calm in his sleep.

Being dizzy and tired, and not in her right mind she closed the door and climbed into Cato's bed. It was so warm, and smelled good. It was his scent. Clove wondered if she liked him, or maybe even was in love with him. Her heartbeat quickened by the thought. But if it came down to him and her, would she be able to kill him? Clove was conviced she could, she wasn't some weak, pathetic, emotional girl. But she wouldn't enjoy it.

Sometime during her thoughts Cato woke up. He flinched when his arm felt Clove's body close to him.

"Cato... It's me." Clove whispered to the darkness.

"What the fuck, you scared the hell outta me." Cato muttered sleepily.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were so easily scared."

Suddenly Cato rolled on top of Clove, pinning her down with his muscular body and his hands holding her wrists. For a second Clove thought he was going to kill her, and she was completely unable to move. Panic shot through her.

"Am I dreaming?" Cato suddenly asked her.

"Huh... w-why do you ask that?" Clove stammered, she always stammered when she got nervous. She hoped he couldn't feel the pounding of her heart.

Cato grinned in the darkness, his white teeth glowing. He was only wearing black shorts and a white T-shirt which clinged to his big chest.

"Is there really a half naked girl lying in my bed?" he asked her teasingly.

"I'm not n-naked, I have a robe on." she breathed.

Cato's ran his hand from her wrist to her waist, he thought Clove's skin was just as silky as the robe she was wearing. Clove let a small sound escape her lips as she felt his hot hand slide to her waist.

"There's cameras here!" Clove suddenly realized and pushed Cato away as hard as she could. He flipped to his back panting slightly.

"So what? I don't care" he said and tried to see Clove's reaction in the darkness.

Not that Clove cared either but she just wasn't ready. She didn't know anything about kissing, touching or... doing it. She had never had a boyfriend before, but she was certain Cato must have had lots of experience with that kind of stuff. She felt her cheeks blush, luckily Cato couldn't see it.

"I'm going to sleep, I'm exhausted." Clove lied and turned to the side.

Cato sat up and leaned over her.

"Don't tease me." he whispered in her ear and then he adjusted his position and fell asleep.

She wondered what it would feel like to kiss Cato. She thought about the girls he most likely had kissed in his life and felt jealousy hit her hard. Angrily she tightened her fists. Who could resist him? Clove wondered if he found her pretty. She was definitely an attractive girl, with a deer-like quality about her and long dark hair flowing down her back.

But Clove knew there were definitely more beautiful, sexy and curvier girls out there. If she could kill all those girls just for Cato to only have eyes for her, she probably would.

The rustling train passed by mountains and farms which glowed orange by the sunrise and Clove opened her eyes. She had finally fallen asleep and feeling rested she quietly got out of the bed. Cato laid on his back with his arms stretched out, still sleeping. She smiled and walked to her room to get dressed.

Wearing a dark green skirt, a pair of brown boots, and a tight white top she inspected herself in the mirror. Then she heard the three annoying knocks on the door.

Titania, still looking like an exotic bird, barged in to bring Clove for breakfast and when they reached the dining car, Clove slumped down on the glossy woodenchair in front of the table which was full of all kinds of bread, fruit, cheese and things Clove didn't even recognize.

A dark skinned beautiful woman, Enobaria who was Clove's mentor walked in the room with quick smooth steps and sat down, she only looked briefly at Clove and then started talking politely with Titania about formalities.

"It seems like we'll be arriving at the station in just one hour! Somebody needs to tell Cato to wake up." chirped Titania and clasped her hands together in joy and anticipation.

Clove smiled, soon the real fun would begin.


	4. The Remake Center

**Hello pretty people! (^v^)/  
So we've made it to the Capitol, woo! Now there's a lot ahead of us,  
The opening ceremony, ****The training, The interview and so much more :D  
Well, until the real fun begins and the Games start ofc :P  
****Please review to let me know what you think, all feedback is soooo appreciated!  
XOXO /Eri **

* * *

The train passed through the long tunnel and into the the Capitol which was a huge city surrounded by protecting mountains. The buildings were tall and glistered in the golden morning light. The streets were polished, clean and full of excited and colorful citizens of the ruling city of Capitol scurried around. The fashion changed constantly, a group of girls stood jumping up and down trying to take a look at the arriving train and they had surgically put cat ears on their head and their hair had shocking colors of pink, blue and yellow. Because the games was the real highlight of the year for the people there, and the spirit was running high. Clove stood leaning against the window, she waved to the clump of people screaming and shouting her name. "Freaks." She thought to herself smugly as the train came to a stop.

**(Hours later in the Remake Center)**

The small, dark haired girl laid on a soft velvet couch with her newly waxed legs stretched out in front of her. A pink skinned young woman named Gaia held her feet in a steady grip and painted her toenails in a vibrant orange color. Clove had been in the Remake Center for two hours and she had been bathed, scrubbed, waxed and greased in with lotion and now her skin was shiny, smooth and peach colored.

"When the polish is dried we only have your hair left to deal with, darling!", Gaia pipes and grins. "And about your hair, would you like some pink highlights or maybe green roo.." Clove pulled a face and groaned. She pictured herself with pink highlights in her brown hair. It looked hideous.  
"No dying. Just do what you need and get it over with." What Clove wanted to do the most was going to the Training Center and try out some knives.

A dark man with pale orange curly hair with silver stripes entered and walked with light steps across the room. He was skinny and tall with a yellow shirt that appeared to be some kind of reptile pattern and pea green pants. Clove immediately disliked him, his clothes hurt her eyes. There was no way she would allow to be dressed like that too, or let him convince her to dye her hair like his.

"So here we have the little Miss District 2.", the man laughs. "Delightful, Gaia! I'll take over from here!"  
"She doesn't want to dye her hair, Quintus." Gaia said with a heartbroken voice and walked over to stand behind the man called Quintus and as they scrutinized Clove, Gaia pouted with her surgically enlarged lips, making her look like a fish. Quintus laughed again.

"Well it wouldn't be very good for our little tribute to have neon hair in the arena, now would it?"  
"I guess not." Clove snapped. She mostly thought the styling part was unnecessary. The Hunger Games wasn't a beauty pageant. It also reminded her of the countless times her mother had braided her hair before the reaping. She didn't like anyone touching her. Except when Cato did it.

In the clean, sterile but luxurious room they walked her to a chair in front of a big mirror with all the hair equipment necessary and probably more. There were machines and objects Clove had never even seen before on a table next to her chair. The room was full of people although she was the only tribute in it. Some women and men were running here and there with racks of clothing, styling, equipments and fabrics. Quintus held up a piece of Clove's hair and grinned with his ridiculously white teeth.

"Excuse me … Quintus", her eyes narrowed when she said his name. "But I just want my hair to look normal." She nibbled on the nail on her index finger.  
"Stop that! We just painted your nails, don't gnaw it off!", Gaia shrieked and grabbed Clove's wrist.  
"Let me go!" Clove roared back.  
"Ladies calm down!" Quintus held his arms up and then he shook his head, chuckling. "You're a little difficult aren't you, Clove?"

Clove clutched her fists and shook with anger. She hated it when she was being talked to in a condescending manner. It took all the strength in her body to not beat the stylists across their fat mouths.

Quintus worked with Clove's hair with swift, light hands. He trimmed her hair and cut some layers, then he curled her hair into soft curls. It looked better than she'd ever imagined.  
"Thank you", Clove said weakly as she inspected herself in the mirror. Her skin was glowing and her face looked fresh and young with sparkling dark eyes and trimmed eyebrows, which was framed by her long glossy hair.

"You're welcome, darling. You look like a beautiful lotus flower, and you're not even finished yet!", he beamed.  
She didn't understand what he meant by "lotus flower" but then again, the Capitol people were pretty weird.  
Even though she didn't want to admit it, being styled wasn't so bad.

"Should we go and get Maximus?" Gaia asked excitedly and adjusted her golden blonde wig.  
Quintus gave Gaia a big wet kiss on the cheek. She giggled. "Great job, Gaia!" he praised her.  
Then they ran out of the room and Clove sighed. "This is going to take forever", she muttered to herself.  
Clove wasn't very patient.

After about one minute they came back with a pale man who had white blonde hair and black eyebrows. His eyes were unnaturally green and he wore an oversized grey shirt with a white skull on it and black skinny jeans with studs.  
"Tadaa!" Quintus said clapped his hands rapidly.

Clove recognized his face from TV, she had often seen him with the winners of District 2. She smiled because she knew he had a good sense of style and she wouldn't be looking like an idiot on stage. Some of the other districts weren't always so lucky, sometimes the stylists went too far in their creations. Most stylists had grotesque plastic surgery and crazy colored hair with implants of various things in their body to keep up with the ever changing trends.

"Good, I see you've done a good job with her. I'll take over now, thank you." Maximus said and smiled a little crookedly. The others left, chattering with each other like little birds.  
Clove felt nervous as Maximus approached her.  
"Hello there, Clove."  
"Hello." Clove replied.  
"Would you take off your robe for me?" he asked with a professional tone. She did what he said but her cheeks turned into a tomato red and her palms sweaty. She stared at the wall and pressed her lips together. She'd never been this naked in front of someone before. She kept telling herself in her head that he was used to this and it was a part of his job.

"Good, good. The orange nail polish really suits you." Maximus said kindly and held up her hand. Then he dropped it.  
"You can put on your robe, now. This is perfect, the look I've chosen will be great on you, Clove."  
"Y-you're not making me go naked, right?" Clove asked with a very worried voice. Just thinking about it made her cringe and her palms sweat even more.  
Maximus laughed and his laugh sounded pleasant and soft. It was actually quite soothing.  
"No, I'm thinking more like greek gods."  
That sounded acceptable in Clove's ears.  
"To represent the strength of District 2.", he added.  
"Sounds great." Clove said with a bored voice, she wasn't really interested in what she would wear in the opening ceremony. She was just glad she didn't have to show herself naked in front of entire Panem.

In just a couple of hours the opening ceremony would start.


	5. The Opening Ceremony

**Hello, I hope every has had a fantastic christmas and new year! :)  
Here's the continuation and now we've made it to the Opening Ceremony! ^^  
Now things are beginning to happen...**

**Please review or leave suggestions for what you want will happen and I'll consider it for the story :D  
It helps me so much and it makes me really happy! ~ :3  
**

* * *

Only a couple of hours later Clove was brought to the bottom of the Remake Center with her team and stylists scurrying around her feet. She already had the costume on. It was made out of shiny golden metal as armor shaped as feathers around her neck and wings sticking out from the sides of the helmet she was wearing. She looked like a roman gladiator, which was fitting for the occasion. Barely paying attention to what was going on around her, she stomped her feet in impatience waiting for Cato to arrive while some grotesque, blue haired woman brushed her cheeks with a blush brush.

"That's enough!" Clove snapped and flicked away the woman's hand from her face. Just then Cato came through the door with his team, he towered over them like a blonde giant.

He really looked like a God. He was tall, muscular and broad-shouldered. Bigger than any other tribute in the Games. Cato's sky blue eyes found Clove's dark chestnut brown and both of them couldn't help grinning at each other, like idiots.

"Wow, you look ..." Cato's voice trailed off.

"Stupid?" Clove asked breathlessly. She stared at his face, he was so much more handsome than she remembered, if possible.

"Then we both look stupid – matching costumes." He said jokingly but he was nervous too, Clove could tell. She thought it was because of the opening ceremony, it was such a huge event, who wouldn't be nervous?

But that's not why Cato was nervous. He thought Clove was pretty before, he had seen her many times at the academy and just the other night in the train he even thought she was pretty sexy. But now, she looked so beautiful he didn't know what to say. In all of his 18 years alive, he'd never been so nervous with a girl before.

Cato cursed himself for making such a lame joke, but Clove actually laughed. She looked less intimidating when she did so, and even more beautiful.

In the enormous stall where all the tributes stood ready to get the chariots, they stood for a moment, looking at their competitors for the first time with their own eyes.

The pair from District 1 stood already on their chariot drawn by snow white horses. They were sprayed in silver, looking beautiful and luxurious. The boy from District 1, Marvel, gave his district partner Glimmer a high-five.

At the other side of the room, the dark haired girl and blonde boy from District 12 stood talking to each other. Clove didn't understand what their costume was supposed to be, it was just a tight black suit with a cape. But on the other hand, District 12 had always been odd.

Suddenly Clove and Cato were getting loaded into their chariot and Clove's palms started sweating. Her mind felt dizzy. She would be seen in front of millions. Her mother would be watching her from home. What would she think of her costume?

Then in no time the horses started moving and District 1 rode out. The crowd started to roar and shout out their names. It was so loud the building seemed to vibrate. Clove looked at Cato. He stood proud and confident, his right hand adjusting his helmet.

Then it was their turn.

The light was blinding and the cheer of the audience became wilder. The music was deafening. A camera zoomed in on their faces and every television screen was of their or District 1's faces. Clove and Cato stood quite close together but didn't look at each other. Cato held his arm up, pumping his fist in the air and grinned to the audience who screamed his name when he rode past them. Especially the girls screamed.

Clove heard her name too. She waved and glued on a big smile on her face that she hoped looked real. On the inside, she felt like throwing up right there, right then.

Although she'd fantasized about this a million times, she had never imagined it would be like this. She wished she could stop being nervous in front of a crowd, and if this was bad, the interview with Ceasar Flickerman would probably be a nightmare.

Very soon, they entered the loop of the City Circle and the remaining chariots with tributes rode in and filled the spots. Every year President Snow came out of his mansion, out on his balcony and delivered a speech. During that time, the cameras cut back to the tributes' faces and this year was no exception.

President Snow was a small, skinny old man and had poofy white hair and a small beard. Cato, Clove and all the other tributes looked up at him, their faces shining with pride and awe. Never had they seen anything like this other than on TV. Cato was tense, his muscles were tightened and his strong jaw was clenched.

Clove stood as straight as she could and tried to look good in front of the cameras whilst battling her nausea.

She saw on a television screen the pair from District 12, who seemed to be on fire. It was vastly different from the year before, or any other year for that matter. They seemed to fill almost every screen, being shown more than other tributes. The District 12 girl, Katniss, held a rose in one hand and her partner Peeta's hand in the other.

Clove could tell they had stolen the show. This was her year! She felt a surge of jealousy and hatred for District 12. Cato had noticed it too and looked as annoyed as she did.

"Why are they holding hands? Do they know each other? Are they together?" Clove thought to herself. "Doesn't matter I'll kill them anyway. Now focus!"

The speech was already over and Clove hadn't even listened. It wasn't like President Snow was saying anything different though, it was the same old boring speech every year. Then the anthem played, and the camera cut to every tribute's' face. Starting with Glimmer's gorgeous face. Then Marvel's plain face. Then to Clove who struggled to keep her smile up but she thought she looked quite nice.

"Are you proud of me, mother?" She thought to herself. She imagined the stern old woman sit in front of the old TV at home looking at her daughter's face with a proud smile on her lips, cheering for her.

The cameras lingered on the District 12 duo, Peeta and Katniss, who looked so smug Clove wanted to punch their annoying grins out of their faces. Cato glared at the screen with his fists clenched.

When the chariots rode back and the door shut behind the last pair, everyone got cheered on by their prep teams.

"Good work, you looked great!" Maximus said but looked at Katniss and Peeta.

Every tribute in the room glanced at them with envy, hatred, disgust, admiration or interest.

"Is that even allowed?" The brown haired girl from District 4, Ellie, murmured.

"Don't worry." Cato said with a grim tone. "They won't make it far in the arena. I'll make sure of that."

Clove's lips curled into a smile but she didn't say anything. She secretly wished she and Cato were the ones holding hands in the opening ceremony, but she was way to embarrassed to ever let anyone know she had those thoughts.

"You looked good up there." Clove suddenly said with an uncertain voice.

Cato lit up. Clove felt her heart pound faster when she saw that. His skin had a light tan, possibly spray tan, and his vibrant blue eyes had the same color of the sky on a cloudless, sunny day.

"And you look pretty damn cute with that helmet on", he replied honestly. Clove felt her cheeks get hot. She looked away and hoped Cato wouldn't see her blush. She hated that she blushed so easily, it was a bad habit. But she was happy, the boy she'd "kind of" liked for so long thought she was cute.

Soon they would be heading to the Training Center which was a huge building designed for the tributes and their teams. Every District had its own floor, and the floor was the District's number. All the tributes will be living there until the Games begin. Clove and Cato would be living on floor two.

Clove felt as excited like a small child getting a brand new toy. Except in this case, the toys would be knives.


End file.
